TV host Iqrar-ul-Hassan accuses Intelligence Bureau of torturing him

Television host and journalist Syed Iqrar-ul-Hassan on Tuesday accused officials of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) of detaining him, members of his team, and subjecting them to extreme torture.

Pictures of Hassan in bloodied, torn-up clothes, receiving medical treatment on a hospital bed were shared on Twitter. Later, journalist Waseem Badami shared pictures and videos of him visiting Hassan at the hospital.

اقرار پر اس تشدد کا ذمہ دار کون ہے ؟
جب عام آدمی کے مقابلے میں بااثر سمجھے جانے والے افراد کے ساتھ یہ سب ہوتا ہے تو عام آدمی کے ساتھ کیا نہیں ہوتا ہوگا ؟
مطلب تشدد کرنے والوں کو بھی یقین تھا کہ ان کا جو دل چاہے گا کریں گے اور کوی ان کا کچھ نہیں بگاڑُسکتا pic.twitter.com/hfBo7qwZDJ

— Waseem Badami (@WaseemBadami) February 14, 2022

Talking about the incident, Iqrar said that he and his team members were “stripped naked, blindfolded and tortured for exposing the corruption of an IB inspector”. He alleged that IB officials also shot videos of him after stripping him and his team members naked.

اقرار پر تشدد کے حوالے سے تازہ ترین#iqrarulhassan pic.twitter.com/AouWt0g3F9

— Waseem Badami (@WaseemBadami) February 14, 2022

Speaking with ARY News, a channel where he works and hosts his show TV programme  ‘Sar-e-Aam’, Iqrar said that an officer of IB was taking bribe at the gate of the agency’s office and “we tried to report him to the high-ups, but senior IB officer Rizwan Shah manhandled the ‘Sar-e-Aam’ team and kept beating us”.

“We were treated as a mole working for a foreign country,” he added.

Hassan claimed he and his team were held hostage for more than three hours. “I got almost 8-10 stitches on my head due to the torture”.

He said a few members of his team were even given electric shocks to “sensitive” body parts. “I want to bring [to light] the video we shot at the IB office, but I learned that it has been discarded by the agency officials.”

Following the incident, Deputy Director General IB Iftikhar Nabi Tunio issued a notification suspending five officials “for mistreatment of ARY News team and mishandling the situation”, reports Dawn.

The suspended officers were Syed Mohiuddin Rizwan (Director, BPS-19), Mehmoob Ali (stenotypist), Inam Ali (stenotypist), Rajab Ali (sub-inspector) and Khawar.

Hassan responded to the development, saying: “I am thankful to the federal government for taking prompt action and suspending five officers involved in the incident.”